Manufacture of shoe bottom units



Feb. 1, 1938. R HQPK|N$ 2,106,845

MANUFACTURE OF SHOE BOTTOM UNITS Filed May 1, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l Feb.1, 193

R. E. HOPKINS MANUFACTURE OF SHOE BOTTOM UNITS Filed y 1, 19 a 2 Sheet s2 Mir/W UVVE/VTU/P- Wf W k fi Patented Feb. I, 1938 UNITED STATESMANUFACTURE OF SHOE BOTTOM UNITS Raymond E. Hopkins, Weymouth, Mass,assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Paterson, N. J., acorporation of New Jersey Application May 1, 1936', Serial No. 77,373

12 Claims.

This invention relates to the manufacture of insoles and outsoles havingcomplementary forepart portions.

In a copending application, Serial No. 26,217, filed June 12, 1935, inthe name of Albert Boot, there is disclosed a method of making aso-called insole-outsole combination consisting of an outsole having acentral forepart projection and an insole having a correspondinglylocated opening which is complemental to the outsole projection. In thepractice of the method referred to the insole and the outsole are splitfrom a laminated blank comprising a layer of outsole material and alayer of insole material, the layers being secured together by means ofcement, and the splitting operation is performed by a matrix roll typeof splitting machine having matrix and die rolls which flex and deformthe forepart of the blank so that the cut of a straight-edged splittingknife will form the opening in the insole and the correspondingprojection on the outsole. It is desirable in some instances to have theinsoles formed wholly or partially of one of the well-known fabricatedor manufactured materails which are of a character adapted to serve as asubstitute for leather. An example of such material is a composition ofwood pulp and latex and such material is commonly supplied in sheets oflaminated formation. Considerable difficulty is often experienced inperforming splitting operations of the type referred to upon laminatedblanks, and particularly upon blanks having insole layers of fabricatedmaterial, because of the fact that the splitting knife, in starting thatportion of the out which is to form the insole opening, has a tendencyto enter or follow along the plane of adhesion between the insole andoutsole layers or to enter between the plies of the fabricated insolematerial and thus is liable to make an undesirable ragged cut throughthe insole material.

One object of the present invention is to overcome the above-mentioneddifficulties in the manufacture of complemental insole-outsolecombinations.

To the accomplishment of this object, it is proposed to prepare theblank for the splitting operation by preliminarily cutting inwardly fromthe upper surface of the layer of insole material thereby initiating thedivision of the blank into an insole having an opening therein and anoutsole having a projection complemental to the insole opening, andthereafter completing the division of the blank by means of a. splittingknife which in its operation passes idly through said preliminary cut.This preliminary cut or incision may be made in the insole layer eitherbefore or after that layer has been secured to the outsole layer andpreferably the out should be shaped so as to constitute part of theopening which is to be formed in the insole by the splitting knife. Byproperly locating such a preliminary cut in the insole layer the knifeof the spitting machine, when it reaches the cut in the course of thesplitting operation, will pass readily through the cut and the portionof the knife which is in line with the cut will have no tendency toremain in,

or to enter and follow along, the plane of adhesion between the insoleand outsole layers after reaching the deformed portion of the blank.Moreover, in cases where insole material of laminated formation isemployed, the splitting knife will have no tendency to enter between theseveral plies of the insole layer as it operates to cut the insoleopening and the outsole projection. The presence of the preliminary cutin the insole layer thus insures clean cutting and proper shaping of theforward end portion of the insole opening and the outsole projectionwhere, in the absence of such a cut, ragged cutting and mutilation ofthe insole material is very liable to take place where the splittingknife starts the cut defining the insole opening.

Invention is also to be recognized as residing in the step productshereinafter described and claimed which result from the practice of myimproved method of manufacturing soles.

The invention will now be explained with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a laminated soleblank of the type employed in the practice of my improved method;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevational view of a portion of a sole roundingmachine illustrating the operation of the machine upon the sole blankshown in Fig. 1';

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the sole blank as it 'appears after ithas been rounded to impart substantially a final edge contour theretoand after the preliminary incision has been made through the insolelayer to facilitate the performance of the splitting operation;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the forward end portion ofthe blank illustrating the operation of making the preliminary incisionin the insole layer;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a matrix roll typesplitting machine showing a sole blank about to be operated upon by thesplitting knife;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary View in vertical section of the matrix rolls ofthe splitting machine illustrating the operation of the rolls upon thecentral forward portion of the sole blank;

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view on an enlarged scale of theforward portion of a laminated sole blank the margin of which is beingsplit in the plane of adhesion between the insole and outsole layers,the figure showing how the blank is distorted by the action of thematrix rolls in the vicinity of the preliminary incision in the insolelayer and showing the appearance of the blank after the splitting hasproceeded to the point where the knife is about to enter that incision;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. '7 but showing the appearance of a soleblank the margin of which is being split in a plane extending throughthe outsole layer near the plane of adhesion between the insole andoutsole layers;

Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional View of the forepart of the insole producedwhen the margin of a sole blank is split as indicated by Fig. 7;

Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the forepart of the outsoleproduced when the sole blank is split as indicated by Fig. 7;

Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the insole produced when the soleblank is split as indicated by Fig. 8;

Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the outsole produced when the soleblank is split as indicated by Fig. 8;

Figs. 13 and 14 are perspective views of the insole and the outsoleshown in Figs. 11 and 12, respectively;

Fig. 15 is a fragmentary perspective view of insole and outsole blankswhich have been cut to sole shape before being secured together; and

Fig. 16 is a fragmentary perspective View of the sole blank showing amark for gaging the location of the preliminary incision.

In the practice of my improved method of making soles, as hereinillustrated, I provide a laminated sole blank 20 by securing together bymeans of a suitable adhesive a layer 22 of outsole material such as soleleather and a layer 24 of any suitable insole material. For conveniencethese two layers will be referred to hereinafter as the outsole layer 22and the insole layer 24. The insole layer 24 may advantageously consistof fabricated or so-called manufactured material such, for example, as acomposition of wood pulp and latex, and, as illustrated, the insolelayer is itself of laminated formation comprising, as best shown inFigs. '7 and 8, a plurality of layers 26 which are adhesively securedtogether. In makin up the sole blank 20, the outsole and insole layers22 and 24 may be secured together throughout the entire areas of theircontacting faces or, if desired, the insole layer 24 may be secured tothe outsole layer only in the central portion of its forepart, forexample, in an area such as that bounded by the dotted line 28 in Fig.1, such area corresponding in shape and location substantially to thatof the projection which is ultimately to be formed upon the outsole.

After the outsole and insole layers have been secured together to form alaminated sole blank he blank is out to sole shape by a rounding ordie-cutting operation. Preferably, although not necessarily, this soleshaping operation is performed by means of a so-called double kniferounding machine, such for example as that disclosed in the copendingapplication Serial No. 734,650, filed July 11, 1934, in the name of F.E.

Bertrand, in order to impart to the insole layer a contour somewhatsmaller than that to be imparted to the outsole layer in order toprovide space for receiving the upper materials which are to be lastedover the insole without causing these materials to project over the edgeof the outsole. As indicated in Fig. 2, such a double knife roundingmachine comprises upper and lower patterns 32 and 34 between which thelaminated sole blank is located, and upper and lower rounding knives 38and 38 which are caused to travel around the edges of the patterns 32and 34, respectively. In the use of this machine the lower roundingknife 38, following the contour of the pattern 34, trims both the insoleand outsole ers were cemented together only in their central forwardportions, the strip of waste material severed from the insole layer bythe upper rounding knife 36, being unsecured to the outsole layer, willfall clear of the sole blank, whereas in cases where the insole andoutsole layers are cemented together throughout the areas of theircontacting surfaces the waste strip defined by the rounding knife may bereadily peeled off from the outsole layer and discarded. After theremoval of the waste strip the rounded sole blank will then appear asindicated in Fig. 3. It will be seen that the edge of the insole layer24 is spaced inwardly relatively to the edge of the outsole layer 22.

In order to facilitate clean cutting during that part of the splittingoperation which is to form the forward portions of the insole openingand the outsole projection, the sole blank is next prepared, inaccordance with my improved method, by forming a preliminary incision 4t(Fig. 3) in the insole layer 24, the incision 46 being located where theforward end of the outsole projection is to be formed. As shown, theincision 40 is so shaped, and it is extended through the insole layer atsuch an angle to the surface of the latter, that when the incisedportion of the sole blank has been distorted by the matrix and die rollsof the splitting machine the plane of the incision will coincidesubstantially with the plane of the splitting knife so that the knifewill pass through the incision without cutting the insole layer. Theangular relation of the incision it to the surface of the insole layeris such as to correspond to the angle of the bevel out which is to,define the insole opening and the outsole projection. Conveniently, theincision 5-53 may be formed by a hand tool, such as the chisel-like tool42 shown in Fig. 4, the cutting edge of which is preferably curvedtransversely so that the cut formed thereby will be curved to correspondsubstantially to the lengthwise curvature of the beveled edge which isto be formed at the front end of the outsole projection. While the soleblank is distorted during the splitting operation in the manner whichwill be hereinafter described, the curved incision 4!] will becomestraightened so that it may be entered by the straight cutting edge ofthe splitting knife. As herein illustrated, the location of the incisionin the sole blank may be gaged by means of a mark or indentation 44 75(Fig. 1) which may be made, for example, by means of a properly locateddie 45 (Fig; 2) on the pattern 32 of the rounding machine.

After the incision 40 has been cut in the insole layer of the sole blankthe sole blank is ready for the splitting operation which may beadvantageously performed by means of a machine of the general type ofthat disclosed in a copending application, Serial No. 759,846, filedDecember 31, 1934, in the name of William D. Thomas. In the use of thismachine the forepart of the sole blank is temporarily flexed or deformedby depressing a portion thereof corresponding in shape and location tothat of the opening to be produced in the insole so that the depressedportion will avoid the knife of the splitting machine by means of whichthe blank is divided.

As indicated in Fig. 5, the splitting machine comprises a singlestraight-edged splitting knife 46, an adjustable upper matrix roll 48,and a lower die roll 50 which is yieldingly mounted so as to press thework toward the upper roll. The upper roll 48 has formed therein acavity or matrix 52 shaped to conform in outline to that of the openingto be formed in the forepart of the insole, while the lower roll 55 hasformed thereon a projection or die 54 that is complemental to the cavity52 in the upper roll. The cavity 52 and the projection 54 are so relatedto each other and to the work, as indicated in Fig. 5, that they willcoact to deform the material of the sole blank at a pointbeginning atthe incision 40, as indicated in Fig. 7, and continuing rearwardly towhere the rearward extremity of the outsole projection is to be located.The upper roll may be adjusted relatively to the knife 46 so that as thesole blank is being fed past the knife the knife will operate to splitthe marginal portion of the forepart of the blank substantially in theplane of adhesion between the insole and outsole layers, or so that theknife will pass idly between the uncemented marginal portion of thoselayers in cases where they are cemented together only in their centralforward portions. however, the machine may be adjusted so that insplitting the marginal portion of the forepart of a laminated sole blankthe knife will cut through the outsole layer close to the plane ofadhesion but at a slight distance therefrom. The splitting of themarginal portion of the forepart of a sole blank in the plane ofadhesion between the insole and outsole layers is illustrated in Fig. 7,whereas the splitting of that portion of a blank through the outsolelayer is illustrated in Fig. 8. If the marginal portion of the blank issplit through the outsole layer, as illustrated in Figs. 8, 11, 12, 13,and 14, the splitting operation, in addition to dividing the laminatedsole blank into an insole and an outsole, will result also in theremoval from the margin of the outsole layer of a thin waste strip orportion of scrap material around the margin of the insole. v

The manner in which the central forward portion of a sole blank isdeformed by the action of the die and matrix rolls is illustrated inFigs. 6, 7, and 8 and Figs. 7 and 8 also clearly disclose the locationof the preliminary incision 4t relatively to the distorted centralportion of the sole blank and show that the incision, after beingstraightened out by the deformation of the blank, is located in positionto be readily entered by the knife.

When, in the course of the feeding of the sole blank past the splittingknife, the incision 4B in the sole blank reaches the knife, the knifewill Alternatively,

enter the incision and will have no tendency to tear or mutilate thematerial in that portion of the blank which is being temporarily held ina flexed and deformed condition by the cooperative action of the die andmatrix rolls. In cases where the insole and outsole layers of alaminated sole blank are to be separated by the passage of the splittingknife along the plane of adhesion between those layers the portion ofthe knife which is to out around the temporarily deformed central.forward portion of the insole layer will have no tendency to remainbetween the insole and outsole layers but will enter and readily passthrough the incision in the insole layer. In the case of a sole blankthe insole layer of which is of laminated formation, there will be notendency for the knife to enter between any of the plies of the insolematerial. In any case the presence of the incision 4B in the insolelayer of the sole blank will insure that the opening which is to beformed in the insole and the corresponding projection which is to beformed on .the outsole as a result of the splitting operation will eachbe defined by a clean cut in its forward portion instead of by a raggedout such as might be produced if no preliminary incision were made inthe insole layer of the blank.

After the deformed portion of the sole blank has been advanced past thesplitting knife and after the material operated upon has had anopportunity to react from the deforming pressure of the matrix rolls,the resulting insole and outsole will appear as shown in Figs. 9 and 10,respectively, or as shown in Figs. 11 and 12, respectively, dependingupon whether the marginal portion of the forepart of the blank is splitin the plane of adhesion between the insole and outsole layers (as inFigs. 9 and 10) or in a plane intersecting the outsole layer (as inFigs. 11 and 12) bears the relation to the sole blank indicatedconventionally by the dotted line 60 in Fig. 6, the insole and outsoleproduced by the splitting operation will appear as shown in Figs. 9 and10, respectively, the insole 62 being composed entirely of the materialof the original insole layer and the outsole 64 being composed only ofthe material of the original outsole layer, except in the centralportion of its forepart where the projection 66 (which is complementalto the opening 68 in the insole) is composed entirely of insolematerial.

If, however, the adjustment of the splitting machine is such that thecutting edge of the splitting knife bears the relation to the workindicated by the dotted line 10 in Fig. 6, then the resulting insole andoutsole will appear as shown in Figs. 11 and 12, respectively, theinsole I62 having a thin skiving 12 of outsole material secured to theoriginal insole layer, while the edge thickness of the outsole I64 isreduced an amount corresponding to the thickness of the skiving 12.

While, as herein described, the laminated sole blank is rounded to soleshape after its component layers have been secured together and thepreliminary incision 40 is made in the insole layer after that layer hasbeen secured to the outsole layer, it is practicable, and may in somecases be desirable, as indicated in Fig. 15, to round or die out theoutsole and insole layers 22 and 24 to sole shape and to form apreliminary incision I40 in the insole layer before securing the latterto the outsole layer.

1 Having described my invention, what I claim If the adjustment of thesplitting machine is such that the cutting edge of the knife 46 as newand desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In shoemaking methods, that improvement which consists in securingtwo layers of material together by means of adhesive to form a laminatedsole blank, making a preliminary cut extending through one of saidlayers near the toe end of the blank thereby initiating the division ofsaid blank by a rearwardly progressing splitting operation into aninsole having an opening in its forepart and an outsole havinga forepartprojection complemental to said opening, and thereafter making a secondcut complementing said first cut and completing said division of saidblank.

2. In shoemaking methods, that improvement which consists in providing alaminated sole blank comprising an outsole layer and an insole layerhaving formed therein a preliminary incision adapted to constitute theforward portion of a central forepart opening subsequently to be formedin said insole layer, entering a knife within said preliminary incision,and relatively moving the blank and the knife to cause the knife toextend said incision around the central forepart portion of the insole,thereby completing the formation of a central opening in the forepart ofthe insole and forming on the forepart of the outsole a centralprojection which is complementary to the opening in the insole.

3. In shoemaking methods, that improvement which consists in forming inan insole blank a preliminary incision shaped and arranged to constitutethe forward portion of a central forepart opening subsequently to beformed therein, securing said insole blank and an outsole blank togetherin face-to-face relation, thereby providing a laminated blank, anddividing said laminated blank into an insole having a central forepartopening and an outsole having a central forepart projection complementalto said opening by means of a splitting knife which, in the course ofits operation upon the laminated blank, passes through said preliminaryincision.

4. In shoemaking methods, that improvement which consists insec'uring aninsole blank and an outsole blank together in face-to-face relation,thereby providing a laminated blank, making a preliminary cut extendingthrough said insole blank, temporarily deforming said laminated blank bydepressing its central forward portion and while the blank is thusdeformed relatively moving the blank and a straight-edged splittingknife to cause the knife to divide the blank into an insole and anoutsole and in so doing to pass through said preliminary cut andthereafter to continue said out and thereby to form an opening in theinsole blank and a projection on the outsole blank complementary to saidopening.

5. In shoemaking methods, that improvement which consists in securingtogether an insole blank and an outsole blank in their central forwardportions on1y,'thereby providinga single laminated sole blank, making apreliminary incision through the insole blank at the forward end of thatportion of said blank which is secured to the outsole blank, therebyinitiating the division of said laminated sole blank into an insolehaving a central forepart opening and. an outsole having a centralforepart projection complemental to said opening, passing a splittingknife through said incision in the insole blank, and thereafteroperating said knife to complete the division of said laminated blankinto an insole and an outsole.

6. That improvement in methods of making skeleton insoles of laminatedformation which consists in making in a laminated insole blank apreliminary cut shaped and arranged to constitute part of a centralopening to be formed in said blank, and subsequently deforming thecentral forward portion of the blank and feeding the blank thus deformedpast a straight-edged splitting knife to cause said knife to passthrough said preliminary cut without entering between the layersconstituting said blank and. thereafter to extend said preliminary cutaround the depressed portion of the blank, thereby completing theformation of said central opening in said blank.

'7. In methods of making soles, that improvement which consists insecuring together in faceto-face relation by means of adhesive a blankof insole material and a blank of outsole leather, thereby forming aunitary laminated sole blank, making a preliminary incision in saidblank of insole material, passing said laminated sole blank between aroller having a die shaped to flex the central forward portion of saidblank out of the plane of the rest of the blank and a second rollerhaving a matrix adapted to receive said flexed sole blank portion, andwhile said blank is thus flexed between said rollers, rotating saidrollers and advancing the blank edgewise past a straightedged knife,thereby splitting the blank into an insole comprising said insolematerial and having an opening in its forepart, and an outsole having amain portion comprising said outsole material and having upon itsforepart a projection cornplemental to said insole opening and duringsaid splitting operation causing said knife to pass through saidpreliminary incision in said insole blank.

8. In methods of making soles, that improvement which consists insecuring together in faceto-face relation by means of adhesive an insolelayer and an outsole layer, thereby providing a single composite blankof laminated formation, making a preliminary cut through said insolelayer in a position to coincide with the forward extremity of an openingsubsequently to be formed in said layer, and dividing said compositeblank into an insole having a central forepart opening and an outsolehaving a central forepart projection complemental to said opening bymeans of a splitting knife which in operating upon the marginal portionof the forepart of said blank splits the blank in a plane substantiallyparallel to the plane of adhesion between its layers and located withinsaid layer of outsole material and which in operating upon the centralforward portion of the blank passes first through said preliminaryincision without cutting said insole layer and thereafter cuts throughthe central forward portion of said layer.

9. In the manufacture of soles, that step product which consists in asole blank of a thickness equal to the combined thickness of an insoleand an outsole into which said blank is to be divided and having apreliminary cut extending obliquely inward from one side of the toeportion of the blank to a depth equal to the thickness of said insoleand in a position to be entered by a knife in the act of dividing theblank into an insole having a central forepart opening and an outsolehaving a central forepart projection complemental to said opening.

10. In the manufacture of soles, that step product which consists in alaminated sole blank comprising an insole layer and an outsole layersecured together in face-to-face relation, said blank having apreliminary cut extending through said insole layer in position to beentered by a splitting knife in the operation of dividing said blankinto an insole having an opening in its forepart and an outsole having aforepart projection complemental to said insole opening, said out beinglocated where the forward end portion of said insole opening is to beformed.

11. In the manufacture of soles, that step product which consists in alaminated sole blank comprising an insole layer and an outsole layersecured together in face-to-face relation, said blank having an incisionin said insole layer shaped to correspond to the shape of the forwardend portion of a central opening subsequently to be formed in said layerin the process of dividing said blank into an insole having an openingin its forepart and an outsole having a forepart projection complementalto said opening.

12. In the manufacture of soles, that step product which consists in aninsole blank prepared for the performance of a skeletonizing operationthereon by having formed therein a preliminary cut for facilitating theentrance of a skeletonizing knife into the material of the insole blank,said out being shaped and arranged to constitute the forward portion ofthe opening to be formed in the blank.

